The Nissan 370Z has a lineage that goes back to the 240Z of 1969. This was Nissan’s first bespoke sports car aimed specifically at the US market, and it went down a storm, with good looks, reliability and a muscular straight six engine.

You could easily make the assumption that Nissan has adhered to an age-old rule of car design in this instance – the one that says that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Except that there are several important areas in which Nissan has improved the 370Z, mainly to make it better and/or less raucous to drive.

Nissan claims also to have improved the Zed’s refinement in every respect. At the same time, however, the company has tried hard to keep the old car’s unashamedly butch personality intact. What also remains is the car’s value – it offers plenty of power per pound.

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